Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao (17) is upset with a foul called against him while guarding Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) during the second quarter at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in Houston. ( Gary Coronado / Houston Chronicle ) less

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao (17) is upset with a foul called against him while guarding Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) during the second quarter at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. ... more

Photo: Gary Coronado / Houston Chronicle

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Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) slam dunks the ball during the second quarter during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in Houston. ( Gary Coronado / Houston Chronicle ) less

Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) slam dunks the ball during the second quarter during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in Houston. ( Gary Coronado / ... more

Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) attempts to block the shot ofCleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) during the third quarter at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in Houston. Rockets lost ... more

Photo: Houston Chronicle

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Houston Rockets head coach J.B. Bickerstaff calls for a timeout while playing the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in Houston. Rockets lost 77-91. ( Gary Coronado / Houston Chronicle ) less

Houston Rockets head coach J.B. Bickerstaff calls for a timeout while playing the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in Houston. Rockets lost 77-91. ( Gary ... more

Photo: Houston Chronicle

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Houston Rockets head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is upset with referee David Jones (36) during the during the third quarter while playing the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in Houston. Rockets lost 77-91. ( Gary Coronado / Houston Chronicle ) less

Houston Rockets head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is upset with referee David Jones (36) during the during the third quarter while playing the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in ... more

Houston Rockets guard Ty Lawson (3) and Houston Rockets guard Corey Brewer (33) watch from the bench late in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Toyota Center Friday, Jan. 15, 2016, in ... more

LeBron James, in standard splendid fashion, soared above a trailing Rockets defense for an alley-oop attempt on a fast break on Friday night at Toyota Center.

Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith had heaved a decent pass toward the goal about midway through the first quarter, but a funny thing happened on the way to what everyone figured was another James bucket.

The ball glanced off of James’ right hand, and he wound up wedging it between the rim and the backboard. The game’s unexpected immobilization left James shrugging and the crowd chuckling, but it was the NBA superstar who laughed last – and he likely even appreciated the slight break to rest drained legs.

Cleveland snapped a season-high five-game Rockets win streak with a 91-77 victory, as guard Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 23 points by making 9-of-17 shots from the field. James added 19 points and seven rebounds.

The Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers (28-10) were at the tail end of a six-game road trip, and had been away from home for 11 consecutive days. A bigger contribution to some alleged tired legs – although they certainly didn’t appear that way against the Rockets – was Cleveland’s 99-95 loss at San Antonio the night before, their lone setback on the extended sojourn.

The Rockets, who defeated Minnesota 107-104 on Wednesday at Toyota Center and had enjoyed a cushion between games, looked like the worn team before a crowd deflated by halftime.

Cavs coach David Blatt said before the Rockets game he considered resting James to close out the road trip, but that James had insisted he was “OK” to play. He was OK and occasionally exceptional, and finished with a game-high seven assists.

The Rockets (21-20), who have their own back-to-back games starting Sunday in Los Angeles against the Lakers and Clippers, started hot on Friday and built a 13-4 lead while fans were still warming up their seats.

But the Cavs impolitely declined to dub it an overall successful road trip and call it a night with the early deficit, and with the Rockets suddenly going ice cold Cleveland snagged a 23-21 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Cavs increased that lead to 46-35 at halftime, when no Rocket player shot better than 50 percent from the field in falling behind by double digits over the first two quarters. James Harden, Terrence Jones and Marcus Thornton were a combined 2-of-14 from the field in that decisive span.

It wasn’t just shooting (1 of 7 in the first half) that held back Harden – he also committed half of the Rockets’ 10 turnovers in the first two quarters, and James blew past his fellow All-Star for an easy lay-in to wrap up the first half.

The Rockets finished 26 of 74 (35.1 percent) from the field, compared to Cleveland’s 39 percent (34 of 87).

In fact the most in-tune fellow in a Rockets jersey on the hardwood was violinist Damien Escobar, who played an extended melody at halftime complete with a handful of Rockets highlights on the video board above his head.

Escobar’s inspiring performance brought one of the loudest roars of the night, primarily because Rockets fans had little else to cheer in James’ return to Toyota Center.

Last March on the Rockets’ home floor Harden scored 33 points and out-dueled James in a 105-103 Rockets overtime victory. That marquee contest, when James missed two free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining in overtime, seemed a distant memory by late Friday night.

So was the Rockets’ five-game win streak, when they had managed to climb two games above .500 for the first time following a 16-19 start. A beginning to what’s been an overall disappointing season for a team that expected to contend for an NBA title, after falling in the Western Conference finals last season to eventual NBA champion Golden State.